"Wyper! A strange ship is approaching us!"

"Raki, you're overreacting."

Wyper stood on top of a tree, listening to his childhood friend Raki report to him.

He waved his hand dismissively before leaping down from the tree.

"Over the years, those arrogant folks from Angel Island have come by from time to time." Wyper shook his head.

"And now the so-called God of Skypiea wants peace? What nonsense is this?"

"Actually, I think... they seem quite sincere," Raki muttered.

"At least during our recent meetings, their representative didn't even bring weapons or armor."

"Raki... you've grown quite bold lately, haven't you?"

Wyper's gaze instantly sharpened as he looked at Raki, radiating an intensity that suggested he might attack at the slightest provocation.

Raki forced a strained smile.

Though they were childhood friends, she couldn't help feeling somewhat intimidated by him...

But Raki understood perfectly well.

The centuries-old feud between the Shandians and the native Skypieans couldn't possibly be resolved with mere words of reconciliation.

This was a blood feud spanning hundreds of years.

Ever since the Shandian warriors were driven from the sacred land four centuries ago, they had built a hidden village in secret...

The Hidden Cloud Village.

Though unlike a certain series , this place had no rap-singing individuals with a beast stuck inside him.

Though Wyper had spoken dismissively to Raki, his actions betrayed his true feelings.

With swift steps, he dashed towards the village.

This matter was far beyond what children their age could handle.

(Wyper is about 5 or 6 and raki is 2 years younger than him)

"What are you waiting for? We need to report this to the Chief immediately!"

"So you do understand the urgency! Then why were you acting so indifferent earlier?"

"As descendants of the great warrior Kalgara, maintaining composure in the face of formidable foes is an essential trait."

Raki's lips twitched.

What does this have to do with the bloodline of a great warrior, you idiot?!

But she kept this thought to herself.

The location of the Hidden Cloud Village lay deep within the vast forests of Skypiea, accessible only by reaching the outer edges by ship.

This was one of the reasons the Shandians had managed to live in secrecy.

Even though the Seraphim Ship was a specially designed naval vessel—relatively smaller compared to the colossal warships—it was still an enormous ship by Skypiean standards.

Naturally, it couldn't navigate through the dense Skypiean forests.

"The Shandian village… is right ahead," Gan Fall pointed into the distance.

"So, have you decided what to do?"

"What's so difficult about it?" Michael shrugged. "Enter the village, find their leader, persuade them—physically if necessary—then take all the Shandians to the legendary Shandora."

"Shandora…"

Even Gan Fall couldn't help but feel a sense of longing.

Not for the so-called "gold," but for the fabled "Shandora's Light," which he had long heard of.

"After all, Shandora was originally an island from the Blue Sea. They are, in essence, Blue Sea people. Returning to their true homeland should be their deepest desire, shouldn't it?" Michael spread his hands.

For the Shandians, Michael's approach was undoubtedly the most suitable.

At least once they returned to the Blue Sea, they wouldn't have to live like frightened turtles, hiding in the depths of a forest just to survive.

The Shandians were surely well-versed in the use of various Dials and Clouds, which meant the Marines would gain a ready-made team of instructors.

Moreover, compared to ordinary people, Shandians had a significantly higher likelihood of awakening Mantra—or Observation Haki.

In fact, in the original story, there was even a little girl like Aisa, who was born with Mantra.

The only problem was that the Shandian population was far too small, barely enough to form a single village.

If their numbers could multiply by several dozen, they might even become an excellent source of recruits, much like Amazon Lily.

But for now, that was just wishful thinking.

Seeing that Michael had already made up his mind, Gan Fall couldn't argue further.

After all, he had turned to external help precisely because he had no other way to end this four-century-long racial feud.

"Everyone, disembark and proceed on foot…"

After issuing the order, Michael turned to Enel.

"Hey, you! Yeah, you—lightning guy!"

"What do you want?" Enel maintained his usual air of detachment, though a flicker of curiosity had begun to surface in his eyes.

"Lead the way. Your Observation Haki—I mean, Mantra—can sync with your lightning abilities, right? Use it to locate the Shandian village."

Enel's lips twisted.

So, he was just being used as a compass…

Closing his eyes, he activated both his Mantra and Devil Fruit powers simultaneously.

Almost in an instant, his Mantra enveloped the entire forest.

Issho turned his gaze towards Enel's direction with some surprise.

Unlike Michael's pure white figure, in Issho's perspective, Enel was composed of several unstable clusters of lightning.

Dazzling... yet violent.

However, when standing beside Michael, that violence seemed gradually suppressed by the sacred aura emanating from him.

"Is this the so-called principle of mutual generation and restraint among all things?"

Issho chuckled softly, his murmured words unheard by anyone else.

"Found them... in that direction."

Enel extended his hand, pointing towards the dense forest to the left front, then strode forward without hesitation.

Michael waved to the members of the SWORD, signaling them to follow Enel.

The group pressed onward through the forest...

"Such a headache. How can there be clouds that turn into swamps?" T-Bone grumbled as he pulled his leg out of the swamp.

Nearby, Gan Fall turned to explain, "This is Swamp Cloud, a relatively rare type among the Sky Island's clouds."

Hearing this, Stella's eyes immediately lit up.

She took out a Cloud Dial and began collecting the entire stretch of Swamp Cloud into it.

Even before the Seraphim Ship had reached the forest's outskirts, Stella had already consulted Gan Fall about the classifications of Dials and the usage of Cloud Dials.

Aside from Island Cloud, this was the first time she had encountered another type of cloud.

"Wow, Stella-san you're really diligent," Hancock remarked while watching her.

"But swamps... they just feel weird."

It wasn't that there were no swamps on Amazon Lily, but the sticky sensation made Hancock shiver involuntarily.

She was a bit of a clean freak.

"As long as it makes me stronger, nothing else matters."

Stella smiled, storing the Cloud Dial away.

The anxiety in her heart was hers alone to bear.

To keep up with Michael's pace, she couldn't afford to miss any opportunity to grow stronger.

*****

Meanwhile, not far away, many pairs of eyes were observing their movements.

"Chief, they don't seem... to be from the Land of Gods."

"They're so curious about Swamp Cloud. Must be some country bumpkins from who-knows-where."

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